Gideon58's Reviews

I have fond memories of this minor classic as the very first ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week. SEVEN IN DARKNESS was the premiere installment of these 90-minute films made for TV that appeared on Tuesday and Wednesday nights on ABC between 1969 and 1975. This film was an unsettling adventure about seven blind people, flying to some kind of convention for blind people and what happens when the plane crashes and they are the only survivors.

Sean Garrison, Barry Nelson, Milton Berle, Dina Merrill, Alejandro Rey, Lesley Ann Warren, and Elizabeth (Tippy) Walker grope their way through the title roles. I remember finding it very unsettling to watching blind people stumbling in around in dark forests and tripping over things, but it definitely held my attention. The performances are OK, with Berle and Merrill doing standout work, but it is the plight of these survivors that sustains viewer interest here. No masterpiece, but a guilty pleasure of mine. 6.5/10

Attachments

     

YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN, the off-Broadway musical based on the famous comic strip characters by Charles Schultz and featuring some imaginative songs by Clark Gesner, was mounted for NBC TV in 1973 and proved to be an entertainment treat for the entire family. Staged with minimal props and scenery, the collective genius of Schultz and Gesner is allowed to shine with grand assistance from a more than capable cast. Wendell Burton is charming as Charlie Brown, as are Bill Hinnant as Snoopy, Barry (MY THREE SONS) Livingston as Linus, and Ruby Persson as the bombastic Lucy. Musical highlights include "Little Known Facts", "My Blanket and Me", "The Book Report", "The Kite", "The Baseball Game" and Snoopy's show stopping "Suppertime." I don't know if this on DVD or not, but it should be. Terrific entertainment for the kid in us all. 7/10

Attachments

 

For those who may have missed it on Broadway or the filming with most of the original Broadway cast, this film of the 2001 concert version performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is equally as exciting.

Director Lonny Price has assembled a first-rate cast for this concert version of the 1979 Gothic musical about the relationship between a demented barber hellbent on vengeance and the slightly daffy but lovable owner of a meat pie shop who falls in love with him. This version is almost more riveting because, as a concert version, with limited sets, costumes, and props, the audience is allowed to focus where their focus should be...on Stephen Sondheim's frighteningly beautiful musical score, flawlessly sung by a rock-solid cast backed by a first rate orchestra.

Tony winner Patti Lupone puts her own spin on Mrs. Lovett, the pie maker originated on Broadway by Angela Lansbury. Lupone is careful to never mimic Lansbury and because she is technically a better vocalist than Lansbury, gives the musical portion of her performance so much more meat than Lansbury did. George Hearn, who followed original Sweeney Len Cariou on Broadway again proves to be the ultimate interpreter of this role in another powerhouse rendering of this richly complex role, which at times is downright bone-chilling, particularly in his rendering of "Epiphany" one of the most powerful pieces of music ever written.

Timothy Nolen's brilliant interpretation of the evil Judge Turpin is a standout, including his rendition of "Johanna"...a song that was cut from the original Broadway production. Davis Gaines makes a strong Anthony and works well with Lisa Vroman, who is the loveliest Johanna I ever seen, offering a flawless rendition of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird". Victoria Clark is outstanding as the Beggar Woman and TV's Neil Patrick Harris makes a surprisingly devastating Toby. A once in a lifetime concert experience that will stay with you. 8/10

Attachments

       

The Getaway is the 1972 box office smash that featured legendary director Sam Peckinpah at his stylish best and capitalized on the off-the-charts chemistry between Steve McQueen and his new bride at the time, Ali MacGraw.

McQueen plays Doc McCoy, a recently released-from-jail career criminal who is coerced into a bank robbery by the crooked warden (Ben Johnson), aided by his wife, Carol (Ali MacGraw) and his old crew. When things go wrong at the robbery, including the death of one of Doc's men (Bo Hopkins) and when another crew member (Al Lettieri) turns on the McCoys, it forces the couple on the run.

Peckinpah's nearly flawless eye for cinematic violence is one of the things that makes this film so completely watchable. Watch the scene where McQueen levels a police car with a shot gun...Peckinpah once again makes the art of cinematic violence look almost musical...like a slow-motion ballet. Very few directors have accomplished as much over the years with the art of slow motion as Sam Peckinpah. Mention should also be made of a hair-raising scene that takes place on a garbage truck that the McCoys are forced to hide in.

Despite MacGraw's limited acting skills, there is no denying the white hot chemistry she had with the late McQueen. Ben Johnson is appropriately slimey as the warden and Al Lettieri is bone-chilling and works well with Sally Struthers, who plays the innocent housewife who becomes his hostage.

The film was remade in 1994 with Alex Baldwin and Kim Basinger, but as I usually say in reviews like this one, stick with the original. An instant classic that has great re-watch appeal, even almost fifty years after its original release. 8/10

Thoroughly Modern Millie is an energetic and whimsical 1967 musical that kept Julie Andrews red hot and one of Hollywood's biggest box office attractions of the 1960's.

Andrews is a delight as Millie Beaumont, a sheltered young lady initiating a new life as 1920's flapper, who finds herself being pursued by a young man named Jimmy (James Fox), though Millie only seems to have eyes for her new boss Trevor Grayden (John Gavin). Unfortunately, Trevor only has eyes for Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore), a wealthy heiress who lives at the same hotel as Millie and pays for fifteen cent cab rides with a check. Throw in a mystery at the hotel involving Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie), the proprietress of the hotel and an eccentric millionairess by the name of Muzzy Van Hosmere (Carol Channing) and you have the makings of a first-rate musical comedy.

Director George Roy Hill has beautifully recreated the roaring 20's here, which provides a perfect canvas for this story to unfold. The film even features silent movie cards to give the story even more of a period feel. Andrews appears to be having a lot of fun here and she works well with James Fox. Moore is sweet as Miss Dorothy and John Gavin is as wooden as ever as Grayden. Broadway legend Carol Channing actually received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance as the outrageous Muzzy and Lillie is appropriately sinister as Mrs. Meers.

Musical highlights include "The Tapioca", "Jazz Baby", "Looking at the World Through Rose Colored Glasses", "Everybody Loves my Baby", "Jimmy", and the title tune.

For fans of Andrews, it's a must-see. The movie was turned into a Broadway musical several decades later with Sutton Foster playing Millie. 7.5/10

The Hangover is a raunchy, ridiculously over-the-top, yet consistently amusing 2009 comedy that isn't concerned with political correctness, logic, continuity, originality, or realism, but still delivers the laughs. I am classifying in it my "Just put your brain in check and enjoy" file.

The story bears more than a passing resemblance to a 2000 comedy called Dude, Where's my Car?, though it takes the premise of that film to a more detail-oriented level. This film is the story of Doug (Justin Bartha), a guy getting married in a couple of days who takes off to Vegas for a bachelor party with his friends Phil (Bradley Cooper), a married schoolteacher and dad and Stu (Ed Helms), a dentist you can serve on pie he is so whipped by his girlfriend (Rachael Harris), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) an insecure and neurotic mess who has trouble keeping his pants on and is also Doug's soon to be brother-in-law.

The story then cleverly skips over the party itself and as we enter the guys' hotel suite the next morning, we see Stu and Phil passed out on the floor with a chicken crawling over Stu's head, a woman sneaking out of the room, a tiger in the bathroom, and Doug is nowhere to be found. The guys than wake up and actually find a baby in a cabinet.

As the guys venture out to find Doug, further investigation reveals that the guys stole a cop car, that Stu married a hooker (Heather Graham) and that the tiger belongs to former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson.

Though I think I may have already revealed too much, I still think there are plenty of raunchy and unexpected laughs found along the way here. Director Todd Phillips somehow manages to keep a tight rein on Jon Lucas and Scott Moore's screenplay, which really can't stand a lot of scrutiny.

The cast serves the story well with standout work from Galifianakis and Helms and Phillips keeps things moving at a nice pace so that you don't find yourself looking at your watch. Make sure you stay tuned through the closing credits. Looking forward to the sequel. 7.5/10

Center Stage was a 2000 comedy-drama that followed the lives of various teenagers as they audition for a spot in the American Ballet Company. The film opens as students audition for the company but we learn that they have only been chosen to study at the company and are not actually members of the company yet. There is a showcase at the end of the year at which time, only a handful of students are chosen as actual members of the company.

The primary characters focused on are Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull), a young girl who has the passion for dance but doesn't really have the technique. Eva (Zoe Saldana) has the technique but doesn't have the attitude. Maureen (Susan May Pratt) was pretty much pushed into ballet by her mother (Debra Monk) who works for the company and though she has what it takes in terms of technique, learns that her heart isn't really in it. We are also are introduced to Jonathan (Peter Gallagher) the egomaniacal director of the company who constantly butts head with Cooper Nielsen (Ethan Stiefel), the principal male dancer of the company who longs to have his own company and finds himself attracted to Jody. Tony winner Donna Murphy is also featured as a teacher in the company whose battle of wills with Eva keep their working relationship very tense.

Yeah, it's pretty much a soap opera on pointe shoes, but the characters presented are pretty realistic for the most part, as dancers, for the most part, are not the nicest people in the world and that film makes this very clear. Jonathan and Cooper pretty much grate on the nerves throughout, only made worse because Ethan Stiefel, though a brilliant dancer, can't act his way out of paper bag.

On the other hand, Schull is charming as Jody and Saldana steals every scene she is in. There is also a cute cameo by original A CHORUS LINE cast member Priscilla Lopez as a dance instructor who is an old friend of Cooper's. There is some first-rate dancing though and Cooper's final ballet, featuring Schull and Stiefel, is spectacular. 6/10

Bridesmaids is a silly and watchable 2011 comedy that provides relatively consistent laughs throughout but suffers from the same disease that is afflicting a lot of contemporary comedies these days: The nucleus of a very funny movie is here, but attempts to pad the screenplay with unnecessary subplot and exposition really slow down the proceedings.

The film stars Kristen Wiig (who also co-wrote the screenplay) as Annie Walker, a woman thrilled that her BFF Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is engaged and that Lillian has asked Annie to be her maid of honor. Things get complicated when Annie meets another bridesmaid named Helen (Rose Byrne), a snooty socialite who is marred to Lillian's fiancée's father, who Annie believes is trying to replace her as maid of honor. This part of the movie totally works and the scene where Annie and Helen are trying to get the last word during the wedding toasts is probably the funniest scene in the movie.

The movie suffers when it moves to a romantic triangle between Annie, her current boyfriend (Jon Hamm), a slimeball who treats her like dirt and the cop she meets cute with (Chris O'Dowd). This subplot just brings the movie down because Wiig had way more chemistry with Hamm than she did with O'Dowd. I never bought the relationship with O'Dowd and maybe this is why it was felt necessary to show us how lonely Annie really is. We actually got a 10 minute scene of Annie baking a very elaborate cupcake, which seemed like a gift for a boyfriend but she eats it herself, easily the film's most pointless scene.

The cast works hard with what the screenplay provides. Wiig works very hard to make Annie likable and Rose Byrne brings us the bitchiest screen character since Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls. Melissa McCarthy also hits a bullseye as another bridesmaid in an off the wall performance that is so twisted that it actually earned McCarthy an Oscar nomination. The film also features what I believe was the final feature film appearance of the late Jill Clayburgh, who plays Annie's mother.

Bridesmaids does deliver laughs but it's too long and I have to wonder if Wiig has the chops to carry a feature length film. 6.5/10

Attachments

       

Ain't Misbehavin, the grandly entertaining musical revue saluting the music of the legendary Fats Waller that made a star out of the late Nell Carter, was beautifully filmed in all its original glory for NBC television in 1982. No characters, no dialogue, just one showstopping musical number after the next. If you're going to film a Broadway musical, this is the textbook on how to do it. Minimal tampering with the score (only one song, "The Jitterbug Waltz" was inexplicably cut), no elaborate changes in settings, and utilizing the amazing original cast: Carter, Ken Page, Armelia McQueen, Andre DeShields, and Charlaine Woodard.

This show features over 20 musical numbers and the original Broadway soundtrack is a two-record set, but you never feel the length because the show is so unbelievably entertaining, when it's over you just want more. For me, the highlights were Carter and Page's duet, "Honeysuckle Rose", McQueen's "Squeeze Me", "A Handful of Keys", "Lounging at the Waldorf", "Fat and Greasy", DeShield's showstopping "The Viper/Reefer Drag" and the beautiful and haunting "Black and Blue." This is an evening of musical theater you will never forget and you will DEFINITELY be humming the tunes when it's over. A must-see. 9/10

A Touch of Class was a charming romantic comedy about a married American businessman (George Segal) who lives in London and drifts into an affair with an English fashion designer (Glenda Jackson). Though the script borders on the cliché, Segal and Jackson manage to rise above rather ordinary story thanks to their surprisingly effective on screen chemistry.

Jackson actually snagged a second Best Actress Oscar for this film (something that still baffles me to this day)but Segal is just as good as she is. Personally, I think this is one of Segal's best performances...Segal's Steven Blackburn is urbane, sophisticated, witty, and sexy and his attraction to Jackson's Vicki Ellesio is a bit of a puzzle since her character is sort of a bitch, but the film is still worth a rental if you've never seen it. 7/10

Ferris Bueller's Day Off was the fresh and imaginative teen comedy that followed a smart-aleck high school senior through a series of amusing adventures when he decides to skip school for the day. This comedy was a smash hit at the box office that became an instant classic and made a star out of Matthew Broderick, who is absolute perfection in the title role. Broderick lights up the screen and tackles this role with an effortless charm that is quite engaging and even appears quite comfortable during the moments when Ferris talks directly to the camera.

John Hughes' inventive direction is a plus and Broderick is given sterling support from Jeffrey Jones as Ed Rooney, the principal of Ferris' school who is determined to catch Ferris ditching school, Edie McClurg as Rooney's secretary, Alan Ruck as Ferris' best friend Cameron, Jennifer Grey as Ferris' jealous older sister, and Lyman Hall and Cindy Pickett as Ferris' parents. Yes, the screenplay is a little one-sided...all the adults in the film are made to look like idiots, but if you can accept that, this comic-fantasy adventure is one entertaining roller-coaster ride.

The film made a star out of Broderick but he was so good in the film that he became type-cast for years to the point where no one would even think of casting him as an adult, but if you're gonna get typecast, be thankful it was due to a classic like this one. Make sure you stay tuned through the closing credits. Followed years later by a brief TV series. 8/10

Follies was one of Stephen Sondheim's most glorious musicals with one of the most memorable scores he has ever written. A huge score and a cast of over 40 major characters, it is a huge undertaking in any form and this concert version was no exception. Follies was the story of a reunion that takes place in a an old theater, about to be demolished, among several follies performers from the past, now in their 50's, 60's, and 70's, reuniting for a final goodbye to their theater, orchestrated by the fictional theatrical director, Dimitri Wiseman.

The bulk of the show focuses on four central characters, Ben, Sally, Buddy, and Phyllis. Ben and Sally were in love many years ago, but now Sally is married to Buddy and Ben is married to Phyllis but old feelings eventually find their way to the surface in this landmark musical. Sondheim hand-picked an a amazing cast for this concert, headlined by George Hearn as Ben, Lee Remick as Phyllis, Mandy Patinkin as Buddy and the legendary Barbara Cook as Sally. Hearn and Cook flawlessly perform the haunting duet "Too Many Mornings" in which Ben and Sally explore old feelings. Hearn also scores on "The Road You Didn't Take" and Cook's rendition of "In Buddy's Eyes" is just breathtaking and has become part of her current cabaret act. Remick has a ball with "Could I Leave You?" and "The Story of Lucy and Jesse" and Patinkin stops the show with "Buddy's Blues." Other highlights include Carol Burnett as Carlotta, singing "I'm Still Here" and Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, who brings down the house with "Broadway Baby".

Phyllis Newman effectively leads the female ensemble in "Who's that Woman?" and there is an amazing quartet called "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See us Through" which features BABY's Liz Calloway and Broadway's current Phantom, Howard McGillen. The version I saw on Showtime also includes backstage rehearsal footage, showing longtime Sondheim musical director Paul Gemigiani coaching Hearn and Cook on "Too Many Mornings" and Lee Remick and Patinkin sitting in a rehearsal hall, mesmerized as Barbara Cook rehearses "In Buddy's Eyes."

There is even a moment with George Hearn moments before curtain where he confesses to writing lyrics he tends to forget on his hand. This concert is a must for all Sondheim fans and Follies fans in particular, since this is probably the closest thing we will ever have to a film version of Follies Don't miss it...a joy from start to finish. 8/10

I cannot deny that Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Security was one of the funniest stand-up specials I have ever seen on HBO. I was rolling on the floor for the majority of this film and have found that after dozens of viewings, it still makes me laugh out loud. The stories he related regarding Al Pacino and LL Cool J on the set of Any Given Sunday were hysterical as well as his dissing of Jennifer Lopez and Mike Tyson. And I couldn't help but crack up when he explained that Whitney Houston wasn't a crackhead, just "crack-ish." Not to mention referring to Bobby Brown as the "King of Rocks and Blunts". His African adventure and his story about Prince were also fall-on-the-floor funny. I don't care what other posters say, if you like stand-up comedy that doesn't pull any punches, this is one of the best. 8/10

Right after her Oscar-winning performance in Cabaret Liza Minnelli took her act on the road and it was brought to television in the form of Liza with a Z. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, who won an Emmy for his efforts, this breathtaking evening of musical theater showcased Liza Minnelli doing what she does best...singing, dancing, clowning, completely commanding a stage and captivating an audience.

From the opening number "Yes" from 70 GIRLS 70 to the title tune, written especially for her by John Kander and Fred Ebb to a striking production number called "Ring Them Bells", Liza doesn't just prove to be a superb songstress, but a great actress who makes every number a show within itself. She brings an intensity to an old Tin Pan Alley classic "It was a Good Time" and rocks the house with "I Gotcha" and wraps the evening with a medley of songs from Cabaret...a once in a lifetime concert event and a must for Minnelli fans. 8/10

Richard Lewis returned to his stand-up roots in Richard Lewis: The Magical Mystery Tour which was the first HBO concert Lewis filmed after the cancellation of his popular ABC sitcom Anything but Love.

Taped live from Greenwich Village, Lewis proudly proclaims his return to the East coast with this fast paced hour which covers such a myriad of topics that Lewis actually brings a list on stage so that he doesn't forget anything. Lewis covers several subjects here including NY vs California lifestyle, prostate exams, TV fishing shows, Judism (of course),parents, and sex education. Don't be fooled by Lewis' laid back delivery because the punchlines come at breakneck speed and Lewis does not wait for laughs...his mind moves at a razor-quick pace and expects the audience to keep up. Attention must be paid and comic rewards abound here if you do so.

Smash up on Interstate 5 was one of the most entertaining entries on the Tuesday and Wednesday Movies of the Week. This episodic drama, somehow economically told in 90 minutes, opens with a spectacular 39-car crash on a deserted stretch of highway. The film then flashes back 48 hours before the crash occurs and through multiple stories we get to meet all of the people involved in the crash and what they were going through at the time of the crash.

The impressive all-star cast includes Vera Miles, Robert Conrad, Donna Mills, Buddy Ebsen, David Groh, Scott Jacoby, and there's an especially lovely turn by Harriet Nelson, widow of TV icon Ozzie Nelson. I like the way this movie showed us the crash first and then took us back. For some reason, it made us care even more about these people, knowing what was ahead for them.

Torch Song was an expensive-looking yet rather superficial TV movie (which BTW, has nothing to do with the Joan Crawford movie of the same title), that seems to be based on Elizabeth Taylor's real-life romance with Larry Fortensky.

Raquel Welch (who looks absolutely AMAZING)plays a glamorous Hollywood star who falls in love with a fireman (Jack Scalia) who she met while in rehab, but encounters many problems continuing the romance outside of rehab,including the obligatory teenage daughter (Alicia Silverstone) unwilling to share her Mom with a new man and a privately resentful personal assistant (Laura Innes), who is suspicious of the man's motives for being with her boss. The cliché-ridden screenplay is a problem,but the chemistry between Welch and Scalia is pretty steamy and makes the film worth watching...and is there anyone in Hollywood aging as glamorously as Raquel Welch? 6/10

One of Woody Allen's strongest films was the caustic and brilliant Husbands and Wives, a 1992 black comedy that doesn't provide a lot of belly laughs, but had me riveted to the screen with its scathingly accurate examination of the institution of marriage and the work and commitment that the institution constitutes.

One of Woody's strongest outings as a writer and director, the film is shot in the form of a documentary that features an offscreen narrator who not only narrates the story but interviews the central characters as well.

The film introduces us to Gabe (Woody) and Judy (Mia Farrow) a supposedly happily married couple, who are rocked by the calmly-delivered news that their best friends Jack (Sydney Pollack) and Sally (Judy Davis) are planning to divorce. What we then get is a Bergman-esque transformation between the two couples as Jack and Sally fail at new relationships and Gabe and Judy realize that they are not as happy as they think they are.

There's a strong Ingmar Bergman influence here, not surprising considering that Bergman is one of Allen's few cinematic idols, as we watch two couples who are basically in the same place but don't even realize it, but end up traveling journeys that mirror each other to the point that their lives have done a complete 180 by the time closing credits roll without them realizing what has happened until after it's happened. I found myself having Personna flashbacks, the Bergman film about the actress and her nurse who gradually exchange personalities.

Woody has put together an intensely personal story here that, despite the documentary film technique, still has a creepily voyeuristic feel to it. The scenes we are privy to all come off as intensely private and make the viewer feel like they are watching private moments that they are really not supposed to be seeing.

As usual, Woody has assembled a first rate cast...he and Farrow are a well-oiled machine here, despite the fact that this was the final film they made together before the Soon-Yi explosion and the tension between them is apparent onscreen, but it works for this story. The late Sydney Pollack once again proves that he was one of the few directors out there who could also act with his explosive performance as Jack and Judy Davis's crisp and unpredictable Sally actually earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Davis is just riveting here in a performance that burns a hole through the camera and makes it impossible to take your eyes off the woman and when Davis is not onscreen, the movie is just a little bit slower. LOVE the scene where Sally asks a blind date to use his phone twice so that she can yell at Jack about moving in with someone else.

Liam Neesom is sexy and vulnerable as a co-worker of Farrow's who comes between her and Davis and Juliette Lewis, in a role I kept picturing Winona Ryder in, scores as a student in Gabe's writing class who he eventually leaves Judy for. Lysette Anthony also makes an impression as the woman Jack moves in with after leaving Sally. The scene where where Pollack and Anthony make a very noisy exit from a party is almost frightening in its realism.

This is not your usual Woody Allen fare and if you're looking for something with a lot of fall on the floor laughter, you will be disappointed, but if you're dedicated Woody-phile looking to experience his finest work as a writer and director, Husbands and Wives should be at the top of your viewing list. This is a masterpiece, right up there with Hannah and her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors. 9/10

Just watched Husbands and Wives a couple weeks ago. Not one of my top 5 Allen movies but I thought it was well above average.

__________________
Letterboxd

A compelling, fact-based story and a couple of powerhouse starring performances ignite The Soloist, a 2009 drama which attempts to put a human face on some hot-button issues, but, at times, seems to sacrifice the reality of the situations presented here for dramatic effect.

The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Lopez, a writer for the LA Times, who happens upon a homeless man playing the violin and after a tentative encounter, learns that the man is named Nathaniel Ayers and spent 2 years studying the cello at Julliard, but did not graduate. Lopez finds himself drawn to the man, not to mention deciding that his story would make great material for his paper, but struggles to connect with the man, whose obvious mental health issues make it very difficult for Lopez to help the man, despite the fact that the series of articles he has written about Nathaniel are garnering attention and acclaim for him.

The film is an emotionally charged look at Lopez' tireless obsession with making a personal connection with this gifted musician whose life went astray at some point and his frustration with the fact that he is powerless to help Nathaniel in the way that he needs the most help...help with his mental issues, that from what we've been shown, could be anything from autism to schizophrenia. The problem is that like a lot of people with serious mental issues, they are unaware that they have mental health issues and as long as they are not a danger to themselves or others, they cannot be forced into psychiatric treatment or medication that could help them and this is an issue that this story completely nails. Lopez' desire to help Nathaniel is the core of this story and the fact that he is powerless in securing this kind of help for the man, it doesn't matter that he actually finds the man a place to live or even gets his talent as a musician recognized, as long as his mental issues aren't properly addressed, he can never be a whole person again, something Lopez has difficulty accepting.

Flashback sequences provide a peek into Nathaniel's past and we do see the beginning of his mental decay during an orchestra rehearsal where Nathaniel starts to hear voices in his head, but we are provided no further insight into the man's mental decay, which I found kind of aggravating.

There is also a scene where a worn out Lopez appears to be giving up on Nathaniel and Nathaniel's response is to start asking Lopez personal questions about his own life, which just rang totally false to me...most mentally challenged people are in their own world and not prone to reaching out to others. I also had a problem with the idea of arranging for Nathan to actually give a recital. I had a hard time believing that Nathaniel would agree to such a thing but his reaction to being onstage legitimized that.

What does ring true though is Jamie Foxx's brilliant performance as Nathaniel, which totally nails the character's delicate mental sensibilities...the way he constantly talks and you think he's not listening at all, but he does catch things here and there and the way he remembers everything he learned about Lopez during their first meeting when they meet for the second time, an ability which made me think there might be some facet of autism involved in Nathaniel's condition. He's in his own world but certain facts do register and lodge in his memory banks without ever exiting his personal mental orbit of which he is a virtual prisoner.

Robert Downey Jr. matches Foxx note for note with a vivid performance that is so human that you almost don't see him acting. The performance is also a wonderful acting study in reaction and playing off the actions of another actor. Watch him when he takes the cello out of Nathaniel's arms that he received as an anonymous gift for Nathaniel or when Nathaniel gets physical with him at the end of the film. Robert Downey Jr. doesn't make a false move here and it is easy to overlook his work in the midst of Foxx's flash. I have a feeling that a lot of the direct communication between Lopez and Nathaniel was enhanced through Susannah Grant's screenplay for heightened drama rather than realism. Communicating with the mental ill, especially those with schizophrenia or autism, is a lot more difficult than depicted here.

Bouquets to Catherine Keener and Lisa Gay Hamilton for bringing substance to the thankless roles of Lopez' editor/ex-wife and Nathaniel's sister, respectively.

This film is a sobering indictment on the plight of the homeless and the mentally ill that even though slightly-over dramatized, pushes a lot of hot buttons and will definitely gnaw at your emotions. 8.5/10